Toyota Rumion

The Rumion is Toyota's re-badged version of the Maruti Ertiga. Save for the slightly different looks and cabin theme, the entire package of the Rumion, including its space, practicality, features and drive experience is identical to that of the Ertiga.

I have spent over a week testing the Toyota Rumion, and driven its rivals like its badge twin Maruti Ertiga, and Kia Carens too. Toyota’s MPV might not stand out in any particular department, it does offer an all-round package for a big family. Let’s take a look at how it achieves that.

The Toyota Rumion is based on the Maruti Ertiga, and that shows in its design. But Toyota has done just enough to give the Rumion its own identity with small changes that make the difference.

The front, for example, gets minute revisions in the form of the bigger grille and tweaked bumper. There’s a bunch of chrome elements here, which add a premium touch. The headlights are identical to the Ertiga and feature halogen projectors. 

In profile, the styling is like a typical MPV with a long wheelbase. Here too, the design is identical to the Ertiga, save for the different styled alloys. The tyre size too, remains the same at 185/65R15. Lower variants of the Rumion feature steel wheels, but the tyres remain the same. You get chrome on the door handles and turn indicators on the outside mirrors that add some style to an otherwise sober design.

At the rear, it gets L-shaped LED tail lights and a rather simple design for the bumper, which is identical to the Ertiga. The only difference here compared to the Maruti version is the chrome strip between the tail lights. Some tweaks to the bumper would’ve been appreciated here and helped the Rumion make the case for its own identity a little better.

Toyota offers the Rumion in five monotone exterior shades: Rustic Brown, Iconic Grey, Spunky Blue, Cafe White, and Enticing Silver.

Overall the Rumion’s styling is simple and only slightly different from the Ertiga. Some might not even be able to make out the difference at a casual glance. Yet, it isn’t boring or tasteless, and most people should like the design of the Toyota Rumion.

Design and Quality

Just like the exterior, the Rumion’s simple styling language continues on the inside. The multi-colour theme adds some life into the design. Beige is used generously, adding a sense of space, and the wood finish on the dashboard’s middle panel adds a premium touch. Do note that the beige seats tend to get dirty very quickly, and will need regular maintenance to keep clean.

Further continuing the premium feel is the leather wrap on the steering wheel, and the leatherette wrap on the central and door armrest. The rest of the cabin is finished in plastic only, which gets a smooth texture and doesn’t feel scratchy or cheap. There are no fit and finish issues either. 

Front Seats

Ingress and egress in the Rumion is easy, and even the elderly in the family won’t have any problems. The front seats feel comfortable on both short and long journeys, as both the cushioning and support are equally good. 

The Rumion does not get a telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel, but still, finding an ideal driving position is easy, courtesy of a height-adjustable driver seat and tilt steering adjustment. The visibility is good as well, which makes the overall experience of the first row in the Rumion one that won’t leave you with any complaints.

Second Row

The Rumion offers a great second row experience with no lack of space or convenience for two people here. The cabin is wide enough to accommodate three people, but the middle passenger doesn’t get a headrest and won’t be very comfortable on long journeys. 

Headroom, knee room, and foot room are ample, and even the under-thigh support is good because you do get space to stretch your legs underneath the front seats. Bonus points for the versatility on offer, because these seats can recline and slide. So if no one’s in the third row, you can slide the seat back and lounge comfortably. This makes the space friendly for people over 6ft tall as well. Amenities like the central armrest and roof mounted AC further improve comfort.

Third Row

Getting into the Rumion’s 3rd row requires some effort because these seats don’t tumble and fold completely. However, once you’re inside, the seats feel usable and comfortable for short journeys, not just for kids but even for average-sized adults.

You sit knees up, so underthigh support is restricted and can cause fatigue over long road trips, but kids won’t have any complaints here. Knee room can be improved as you can recline the seats. With generously sized windows and seats that are positioned higher than the second row, the Rumion offers a good sense of space in its third row, even if the actual space might be strictly adequate.

Storage and Practicality

As you’d expect, being an MPV, the Rumion offers great in-cabin practicality. There’s 1-litre bottle pockets in all four doors and you can also store some small items in the door pockets. For your cold drinks, there’s two cooled cupholders in the central console, ahead of which is a tray that can be used for keeping your wallet, phone or even keys. The compartment next to the steering wheel offers a good space to store your loose receipts or spare change. The glovebox is generous too.

Rear passengers get seat back pockets for storing their magazines or tablets, but no cupholders in the rear central armrest. I appreciate the fact that Toyota has offered dedicated cupholders for the third row passengers.

Charging Options

The Toyota Rumion could’ve offered better charging options. It gets a 12V socket in every row, but only a single USB socket for the front passengers. There is no type-C port or wireless phone charger available.

Features

Toyota Rumion covers all the basics features and more. In those functional features, I like that Toyota has offered the request sensor for the keyless entry feature on both the driver and passenger side door handle. 

The 7-inch infotainment system might be small by modern standards, but it works as intended. It doesn’t offer quick responses like you get in the bigger 9-inch infotainment system found in the Glanza and Urban Cruise Hyryder. The user interface is easy to use and it gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

There’s no fancy digital driver’s display either but I like the styling of its analogue dials with its blue inserts around the dials. There is a coloured MID display between the dials, and despite the small screen size, it relays a bunch of clear-cut information that's easy to read.

The sound quality of the 6-speaker sound system is acceptable, but don’t expect a premium experience.

The Rumion’s standard safety kit packs the basics like two airbags, hill hold assist, ISOFIX mounts, and rear parking sensors. Top-spec variants further add features like side airbags (total 4 airbags), front fog lamps, and a rear parking camera. 

The quality of the rear parking camera is acceptable, even at night. The middle passenger does not get a three-point seatbelt, and the rear seats also miss out on load sensors. As a result, you’ll need to buckle the seat belt up at times, else you’ll have to listen to the irritating alarm for about a minute, even when no one is sitting there.

As for a safety score, the Rumion has not been crash tested by BNCAP or GNCAP. However, GNCAP rated the Maruti Ertiga 3-stars in 2019.

The Toyota Rumion’s boot, surprisingly offers enough space to keep a couple of cabin and laptop bags even with all the rows up. There’s also a false floor, so you can make large suitcases stand after removing those panels.

Folding the third row opens up a flatbed, which is big enough for all your airport runs or weekend family getaways. For more versatility, the second row also has a 60:40 split, so you can haul really long stuff like a refrigerator for example, with ease. 

With the CNG, the boot space is limited and only good enough for a single cabin suitcase or multiple laptop bags.

The Toyota Rumion gets a single 1.5-litre, naturally aspirated, four-cylinder petrol engine, which can be paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed transmission. You can opt for a factory-fitted CNG kit too, which is only available with the manual transmission.

Rumion Petrol

This engine might not be the most powerful, but it is a proven workhorse with its refined and smooth performance. It is best enjoyed when driven in a relaxed manner.

City Performance

There are no complaints from the driveability of the engine and either of the transmissions. The engine is smooth and picks up speed from lower RPMs without any reluctance. The acceleration isn’t strong, but linear enough that it won’t stress you over an overtake in the city. 

The manual is easy to use with a light and progressive clutch, and a slick gearbox. It would be the recommended option if you like to drive the car a little spiritedly. The 6-speed torque convertor automatic is smooth too, just not super quick to change gears as newer DCTs. If driven in a calm manner, gearshifts are virtually imperceptible.

With not much load in the car, the Rumion returned a fuel efficiency of around 11kmpl in the city.

Highway Performance

Reaching and maintaining highway speeds is easy, and so is overtaking at speeds of around 60kmph – but only if you’re in the right gear. If you find yourself at a lower RPM and in need of a quick gearshift, you can do that quickly with the manual. The automatic takes a split second to downshift when you floor the accelerator.

The Rumion AT does get paddle shifters, so you can downshift in advance, but the system is tuned for efficiency. The moment it gets a chance, it upshifts and switches back to automatic mode. If you want the transmission to hold onto higher RPMs, you need to shift the gear lever to M. That helps keep the engine in its power band and makes the overtakes a little easier.

With load in the car, the performance does take a significant hit and you will have to plan your overtakes in advance. Fuel efficiency will also take a hit with more people onboard, and we managed a figure of 14kmpl on the highway.

Rumion CNG

The CNG Rumion is a good option if you have a really high usage. It offers big gains in fuel efficiency, for not a huge compromise on performance and refinement, at least in the city.

City Performance

Driving the Rumion on CNG doesn’t feel significantly different from the petrol version. It still offers smooth performance with good low-end performance and enough power to make overtakes in the city too.

High Performance

The difference in performance is noticeable on the highway, where the CNG struggles to make any quick overtakes over the speed of 60kmph. It will happily cruise at speeds of 80kmph, but don’t expect strong performance even after shifting down a gear. 

If driven with a light foot, you should be able to come close to Toyota’s claimed fuel efficiency figure of 26.11km/kg.

Overall, the Rumion’s petrol engine offers adequate performance for sensible and efficient usage. The engine, especially with the automated manual transmission, works best with a smooth operation.

Ride Comfort

The Toyota Rumion keeps its occupants comfortable over most road surface imperfections. Its ride quality is impressive in the city as it absorbs potholes and speedbreakers well and silently, and this stays true irrespective of the number of people onboard. 

It even goes well over rough roads and doesn’t throw the occupants around, provided that you keep your speed in check. The ground clearance is plenty, but it is best to keep your speed in check over a sharp breaker if you're driving with full load.

On the highway, it feels stable and planted, and maintains its composure over sudden undulations or highway gaps. Although, I would recommend you to sit in the first two rows if you have motion sickness, as third row passengers may experience some bouncy up and down movement on excessively bumpy surfaces. 

Handling

For a family MPV that’s primary task is to take its occupants from point A to B in a smooth and relaxed manner, the handling of the Rumion is great. Despite the size, the car feels light and easy to maneuver around the city and even taking a three-point turn doesn’t require much effort.

You drive it around a corner and it handles like a family MPV, safe and predictable, as long as you’re carrying sensible speeds. 

Overall, as a people commuter, the Rumion’s ride and handling will rarely ever give someone a reason to complain about.

Toyota offers the Rumion in three variants: S, G and V.

Rumion S

• Base variant available with all the powertrain options, including petrol automatic. It is also the only CNG variant in the lineup.

• Exterior gets halogen projector headlights, chrome surrounds for the grille, body coloured ORVMs and door handles, 15-inch steel wheels with covers, and LED tail lights.

• Adjustments like slide and recline second row seats with 60:40 split, 50:50 third row split, adjustable headrests in all three rows, and second row centre armrest are available as standard.

• Functional features include manual AC with second row roof mounted AC vents, keyless entry, all four power windows with one touch up/down for driver, powered ORVMs, tilt steering adjust and air cooled cupholders.

• Covers basic infotainment needs with bluetooth audio screen and four speakers. It also gets steering mounted controls, and USB and AUX connectivity. 

• Standard safety features include dual airbags, hill-hold assist, electronic stability program, and rear parking sensors.

Rumion G

• Better looks with front fog lights, 15-inch alloy wheels, chrome door handles, and mudguard on both front and rear tyres.

• More premium interior with tweak wood elements on the dashboard and door trims, and dual tone seat fabric.

• Offers more comfort with height adjustable seat, sliding front row armrest, push button start/stop and auto AC. 

• Better infotainment package with a 7-inch touchscreen system with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, connected car technology and a six-speaker Arkamys tuned sound system.

• Front seatbelt height adjuster is the only small addition in the safety kit.

Rumion V

• Same visual treatment but interior gets leatherette on the steering wheel.

• Feature additions are auto folding outside rear view mirrors, cruise control, and automatic headlights.

• Safety kit finally gets six airbags with a rear view parking camera.

CarDekho Recommends:

• The base variant ticks all the needs and powertrain options, and can be opted if you want a well-packaged functional family MPV on a budget.

• The mid-spec G variant feels the most value-for-money with its necessary creature comfort additions that make the experience better.

The Toyota Rumion is hard to fault as far as sensible budget family MPVs go. Its looks, comfort, space, practicality and features are all parameters that play it safe, but get the job done beautifully. It might not have the flashy features or the visual feel and appeal as some of its rivals, but the Rumion is still the more sensible choice for a family on a budget. Picking it over its rebadged avatar comes with the appeal of the Toyota badge, and more importantly, the better warranty package. And sometimes, that’s all you need with a car like the Rumion – sensibility and trust.

Other cars to consider instead of the Toyota Rumion

Maruti Ertiga

Reasons to consider 

• Base variant is more affordable by more than Rs 1.5 lakh

Reasons to ignore

• Rumion offers a better warranty package

Renault Triber

Reasons to consider

• More affordable

• 4-star global NCAP rating

Reasons to ignore

• Smaller footprint = less space inside 

• Drive experience isn’t as good, both in terms of refinement and performance

• Less premium cabin experience

Kia Carens

Reasons to consider

• Feels more premium inside-out

• Diesel option

Reasons to ignore

• No CNG option

• Petrol engine doesn’t get a fully automatic transmission, only a clutchless manual

Maruti XL6

Reasons to consider

• Looks more premium

• Offers more features like ventilated seats and 360-degree camera

• Second row has the option of captain seats

Reasons to ignore

• More expensive